Method oftreatinq hot-rolled bars while cooling



(No Model.)

J. L. LEWIS. METHOD DIP-TREATING HOT ROLLED BARS WHILE COOLING.

No. 278,246. Patented May2Z,1883. 220.1.

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. LEWIS, or rrr'rsnune, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF TREATING HOT-ROLLED BARS WHILE COOLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 278,246, dated May-22,1883.

Application filed September 19, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. LEwIs, of Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Methods of Cooling Metal Bars Afterltolling; andI do hereby dcclarethat-the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will ena'ble others skilled in theart to .which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghadto theaccompanyingdrawings,which form a part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 is an end view 'of one form of my apparatus. Figs.2 and3 are similar views of modifications.

In the manufacture, by rolling, of iron and steelrods, shafts, bars,850., as at present universally practiced, the finished product of therolls is drawn ofito what is usually termed the coolingbed. This may bethe ground or iron plates known as the standing, which are laid over aconsiderable space near to the rolls, or

cooling-bed until cool.

are laid upon rails or bars supported in parallelism at intervals, andthere allowed to cool. In any case the rod or bar, coming at usually ared heat, from the rolls, lies inert upon the The result is that theunder side becomes cooled more rapidly than the upper side,which latterhas onlythe atmosphere to cool it,while the former has the assistance ofthe direct conduction obtained from contact with the cooling-bed. Thiseffects a warpin g of the bar, causing it to assume a very irregularform longitudinally, which necessitates considerable labor afterward inorder to straighten the bar. This warping of the bar occurs chieflyduring the lowering of the temperature from a red to a twilight heat. Itis a great drawback to the subsequent manipulation of the bar, whetherit be a round for shafting or rod, a square, oval, or other regularform, wherein the warping is not due to the preponderance of metal inany one part of the section.

The object of the present invention is to prevent this warping of therolled article, so that when cool it shall be as straight as iscompatible with the ordinary process of rolling, as now practiced inrolling-mills generally.

To this end my invention consists in taking two or more bars or otherproduct from the rolls, and,while cooling, subjecting them to andmaintaining them in motion While in mutual contact until cooled to suchan extent as to be unaffected by the slight additional coolingthereafter occurring. substantially as hereinafter described andclaimed. The method may be practiced in a number of ways withoutdeparting from the essence of the invention. For instance, I can adoptthe means illustrated in Fig. 1. In this, A designates the cooling-bed,consisting of a number of horizontal parallel plates or rails. In a pitunder the cooling-bed A, I place asteam-cylinder, B, having pistonrod,O,extending outwardly and attached to the frame or bracket 1), which isset on slides E in the pit. From bracket D extend upwardly two standardsor arms, F, which project somewhat above the level of the coolingbed, asshown, as theinjurions warpin g takes place only before the bars havecooled to a black or twilight heat, and as the bars are usually rolledin quick succession, I roll several bars, a a, and lay them across thecooling-bed A, and then admit steam to cylinder B and start its pistonin motion. This produces a re ciprocation of the frame D and the arms F,and the bars a are thereby caused to roll slowly back and forth over thecoolingbed A. (Jonsequently the bars a are constantly in motion and asconstantly change the surface in contact with the cooling bed and eachother. Hence the bars cool olf uniformly, and the cooling of any oneside cannot take place in advance of the remaining surface of the bar,and therefore the bar, when cool, will not be warped, but practicallystraight and'true. Another means is'shown by Fig. 2, where thepiston-rod G of cylinder H is connected by rod I to a crank, K, on arock-shaft, L. Crank K extends upwardly into contact with thecooling-bed, consisting of several parallel rails, M, having upturnedends. Bed M, at the side opposite the crank K, is journaled on the shaftor pivot N, so as to be capable of oscillating or rocking. The rolledbars a are laid on bed M, and the motion of the piston causes the crankK to rock and alternately lift and lower that side of bed M above andbelow a horizont-al line, causing the bars a to roll back and forth onthe cooling-bed in mutual contact. Another form is shown by Fig. 3,where P are 2 wasac the rails of the cooling-bed, inclined as shown. Ris a standard, through whose base is fitted the screw 8., On endof screwS is a spring ratchet or crab, T, operated by a s 'iring-treadle, V.When the workman places a bar, a, on the bed 1 he depresses treadle Vwith his foot. This rotates screw S and moves standard R backwardslightly, thus allowing all bars a on the bed to roll slightly downwardin mutual contact, and thus at intervals sufliciently rapid, the barspositions are changed and the unequal warping prevented, as before. Inall these cases the bars may be piled as in Figs. land 2. hen the barsare cooled to such extent as'to be in no danger of warping by thesubsequent contact with the ground they may be removed from thecooling-bed to another part of the mill. I g

I am aware that it has been proposed to revolve rolled bars singly onoverlapping rollers and pour Water on them while in motion; but myinvention aims at the cooling of bars in mutual contact and without theuse of water, whereby 1 an] enabled not onlyto pile a great number ofbars together on the coolingbed, but also to effect the cooling of bothiron and steel bars or rods.

\Vhile I have shown specific devices for carrying out my invention, I donot herein lay claim to any mechanism, as I propose to make such thesubject of one or more separate ap plications; They are used hereinmerely for illustration.

I am also aware that it has been proposed to give the rolled bars atransverse rolling or reciprocating oscillatory movement by laying themona suitable'bed capable of giving such motionfand separating the barsfrom one another by means of uprights or pegs. I do not claim such amethod of coolin As before stated, one of my principal objects is tocool a large number of bars in as little space as possible, whichrequires the bars to be placed in mutual contact, which in turn insuresan equable and uniform cooling without warping or irregular contraction.

I claim as my invention- 1. The method of treating rolled metal barsduring the process of cooling, consisting in placing two or more bars inmutual contact and imparting to said bars a rolling or oscillatingmovemen t whereby the points or lines of mutual contact undergo changeand uniform cooling is ett'ected, substantially as described.

2. The method of treating rolled metal bars during the process ofcooling, consisting in placing two or morebars in mutual contact on asuitable bed, then imparting to said bars rolling or oscillatingmovement, and thus successively changing the points of contactof saidbars with each other and with the bed. I

In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN L. LEVIS.

Witnesses:

D. E. DAVIS, T.J. PATTERSON.

